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N0. 6l9,835. Patented Feb. 2|, I899. F. G. PABST.

SHOE 0R BOUT STRETGHEB.

(Application filed July 1, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT (lFFICE.

FRIEDRICH GUSTAV PABST, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY;

SHOE OR BOOT STRETCHER.

PECiFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,835, dated February 21, 1899.

Application filed July 1, 1898. $erial No. 684,946. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH GUSTAV PABsT, a subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of Hamburg, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe or Boot Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

The improved stretcher for foot-coverings forming the object of the present invention, and which is especially intended for use with shoes, belongs to that type of boot-stretching device in which a portion of a boot-last is arranged to fill out the toe part of the boot or shoe, while the rear portion, in the form of a lever mechanism, acts against the heel-cap and produces the pressure.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view or plan of the improved shoe-stretcher. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the said stretcher in its working or active position when inserted into a shoe or the like, and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing how the stretcher may be folded together when not in use.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

This lever mechanism is of peculiar c011- struction and comprises a screw-rod I), held in a nut 0, carried on the last a and adapted to turn around. It further comprises a heelpiece d, carrying a sliding rod e, adapted to slide in a longitudinally-slotted sleeved, firmly secured to the said heel-piece. The rod 6 is at e pivotally connected to the aforementioned screw-rod b. The rear portion of the heel-piece d is shaped so as to fit the heelcap of the shoe.

The improved stretcher is used in the following manner: Having first adjusted the screw-rod b to the length of the boot or shoe,

the boot-last a is placed into the toe part of such boot or shoe, and the heel portion at is then moved from the dotted position, Fig. 2, into that against the heel-cap, having pre viously pulled out the sliding rod 6 in the sleeve d, so asto cause the link-joint e to be located nearest the upper end of the longitudinal slot in the inclined or oblique face of the sleeve (1. The rod 6, by means of its handle e, is then pushed inward or down, so that the link-joint 6 moves or slides down along the inclined sliding surface of the sleeve d, thereby forcing the fore portion a forward and so stretching the top leather of the boot or shoe in use in order to give it the appearance of being new and to maintain such appearance.

The front last a is hollow and allows the articulated adjusting-rods to be folded and to be packed into the hollow space, as shown in Fig. 3, for storing, transport, and the like.

This improved apparatus must not be mistaken for a similar contrivance employed to widen the boot-leather. Such widening or stretching is usually performed by the bootmaker and has for its only purpose to widen boots or shoes which are found too narrow in wear. The stretcher according to this invention is intended to keep the boot or shoe in its original shape, but without widening it, and it should be used day by day each time after wearing the boot or shoe.

' This improved stretcher is especially useful when traveling, while then the boots or shoes are most exposed and strained, and in such case the stretcher should be applied, say, every evening and taken out in the morning. This can be done, of course, either by the wearer or by his servant.

' The improved stretcher is thoroughly suitable for its purpose, and by its ease of folding up it is a very convenient adjunct to the traveling-bag.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A footwear-stretcher comprising a hollow or shell-like fore part, a heel-piece, a screwthreaded stretcher-rod, a nut j ournaled to the fore part in which said rod works, and an actuating-rod articulated to the rear end of the stretcher-rod and having sliding motion on the heel-piece, for the purpose set forth.

2. A foldable footwear-stretcher, comprising a hollow or shell-like fore part, a heelpiece, a screw-threaded stretcher-rod, a nut journaled in the fore part in which nut said rod works, an actuating-rod provided with a handle, said rod connected with the heelpiece to slide vertically thereon and with the with the screw=rod-, the arrangement being such that the fore part is pressed against the upper-leather, by placing it together with the heel-piece in position in the boot or shoe and then forcing the slide-rod downward to the bottom of the sleeve d, substantially as specie fied.

FRIEDRICH GUSTAV PABST;

Witnesses REINHARD OSTERMEYER WILHELM SAHN. 

